At a concert appearance in the SF last weekend, East Bay natives Green Day took a stand about the Oakland A's decision to decamp to Las Vegas, and while their beef is more with the A's ownership than with Las Vegas, two Las Vegas radio stations are taking it personally.
As we reported earlier, Green Day was back in their hometown of Pinole last weekend, making a special appearance at a 7-Eleven where the band used to hang out as teens. And they made a concert tour stop at Oracle Park last Saturday night, at which frontman Billie Joe Armstrong had a few words for A's owner John Fisher — the concert falling a few days before the A's were to play their final game at the Oakland Coliseum.
To the crowd of 40,000 last weekend, Armstrong took a moment between songs to say, "We don’t take no shit from people like John fucking Fisher, who sold out the A’s to Las fucking Vegas!”
He added, "I fucking hate Las Vegas! It’s the worst shithole in America. Can you feel me?"
I mean, he is not wrong. But certainly there may be some Green Day fans who live in Sin City, or nearby, who would take offense.
And now, a couple of local Vegas radio DJs, Brandon “Gooch” Hahn of rock station KOMP 92.3 and X 107.5's Carlota Gonzalez, have taken offense, pushed back, and had their stations ban Green Day's music.
After Billie Joe Armstrong called Las Vegas “the worst s***hole in America,” X107.5 is taking action. 🚫
— X 107.5 (@X1075LV) September 25, 2024
We’re banning all Green Day music from our station! Carlota announced it this morning—no more Green Day on X107.5! 🙅♂️ https://t.co/Mix88CV1sD
"Maybe he should take a look at the city and the people involved in that transaction than talking smack about the city of Las Vegas,” Gonzalez said of Armstrong on the air Wednesday, per the Chronicle. “I hate to say it and as much as the Raiders suck but when they were in Oakland, they were worth a billion or two. Now they’re worth six. It was a good business decision and the A’s want some of that and I don’t blame that."
Whether it will prove to be a good business decision remains to be seen — and leaving behind and pissing off a loyal fan base in Oakland isn't going to do the A's favors.
But Hahn got a bit personal in return, writing online Tuesday that Armstrong is "old and bitter," and saying the band's recent albums are "paint-by-numbers garbage."
Also, this may be much ado about nothing, because how much sway do radio stations really have these days? As one commenter on 107.5's tweet said, "I forgot radio stations existed... it's 2024."
Anyway, good luck getting Green Day booked to play Vegas again anytime soon.
Previously: Green Day Revisits Their Hometown Pinole 7-Eleven, Gets Key to the City